NAPA -- As the No. 8 overall selection out of Alabama in the 2010 draft, Rolando McClain had a bigger responsibility than any Raiders draft pick on defense since Charles Woodson was taken No. 4 in 1998.

To be fair, even Woodson and Michael Huff, the No. 7 pick in 2006, weren't given the authority bestowed upon McClain the moment he walked into the locker room. Defensive backs cover receivers. Middle linebackers run an entire defense.

McClain left Alabama after his junior year, and although he's an admittedly reluctant authority figure, teammates and coaches believe him to be wise beyond his years.

"Where I come from, we say he has an old soul," Raiders weakside linebacker Quentin Groves said. "He never carried himself like a rookie."

Nowhere is that more evident than in the film room, where McClain has turned what began as a chore into a passion. Independent, analytical and uninterested in being a celebrity, McClain, 22, only occasionally consents to interviews, preferring to wind and rewind his way through game film to better understand the chessboard presented each week by the opposing offense.

It's something that was instilled at Alabama by coach Nick Saban.

"I hated it. To be honest, I never wanted to watch film," McClain said. "In high school, I just played off talent. I had to learn quickly that when you get to college you need to be able to scheme.

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"You need to be able to single out your opponent and know what they're going to do before they do it, so you can counter and be ahead of them. It's something I do now. Instead of going out, I'll watch film."

Linebackers coach Greg Biekert, whose preparation enabled him to forge an 11-year career with the Raiders and Minnesota Vikings, said McClain is always working to be a step ahead mentally.

"Ro's a little different. Typically you don't see a rookie make all the calls and still manage to think ahead of what the offense is doing," Biekert said. "He sees things that it takes most guys four or five years to recognize in terms of sets, formations, what guys are going to do."

Winner of the Butkus Award in 2009 as the nation's top linebacker, McClain helped lead Alabama to a national championship and was the highest drafted linebacker for the Raiders in franchise history.

His first season was solid and unspectacular, as he finished third in tackles but did little in the way of forcing turnovers. Diagnosing plays was not an issue, but getting there was another matter.

To rectify the problem, McClain spent time during the lockout poring over tape of himself at Alabama.

"I watched film from junior year to my rookie year, and I noticed a difference. I wasn't as quick as I wanted to be," McClain said.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, McClain said he's dropped "6 or 7 pounds" in part by adding lap swimming to his weight regimen.

"I just got in the pool and swam laps, about an hour and a half or so a day," McClain said. "It helped my joints, actually. Not as much wear and tear on the body as running those sprints."

McClain is convinced he'll play quicker physically as well as mentally.

"They threw me into the fire, and I was learning on the go," McClain said. "I feel a lot more comfortable now. I feel I can play fast without thinking."

As for asserting himself as a leader, McClain said he'll do it in his own way.

"I keep to myself," McClain said. "I'm not a rah-rah guy. It's hard for me to be a vocal leader. But when there's a time for it, it comes out naturally."